


Kindling to Fire

by RelevantMagician



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Calamity Ganon, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelevantMagician/pseuds/RelevantMagician
Summary: Slow Burn Zelink taking place pre-calamity. Lots of introspection pinning.
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

The sun beat down on my scalp, encouraging the sweat that was starting to gather at the nape of my neck. I shifted my right leg and gracefully dismounted from my white horse Nimbos. He moved his head toward mine as I started to lead him to a nearby apple tree, I reached out my free hand and pet his sweaty brow, the warmth from it brings me great comfort. Riding Nimbos would make the search go much faster, but I wanted to be attentive and go slow today. Besides, before anything else I need to visit the temple of time and pay my respects to Hylia. 

“Hurry princess, or Robbie will declare some hovel the shrine and leave before we’ve a chance to ridicule him” Purah called, already almost at the Temple. Her brown plaited down her back bounced and swayed to movements of her horse. Robbie made a face at her as he started to jog towards the Forest of Sprites. “Don’t mind her princess, Purah is simply jealous that the rest of us are useful and she is the entertainment”. I smiled at the two of them, they were constantly antagonizing each other and constantly together. I don’t believe either of them would last long without the other to spur them on. 

Impa tied her horse up beside mine and gave a low chuckle. “I’m never sure if my sister and Robbie asset or distractions”.   
“A bit of both I believe” I replied brightly, thinking about all they information they had found in the past several months, as well as all the times they had started arguing in the middle of research. Impa, my teacher and dear friend turned and smiled at me. She stopped as we reached the door to the temple.   
“I’ll be here when you’re done” I nodded and pushed the heavy wooden doors open, making just enough room to squeeze through and quickly turning to shut them again. They closed with a loud bang, and the silence the fell afterwards was deafening. Suddenly alone the knot in my stomach tightened. 

Usually, these trips with Impa, Purah, and Robbie made me excited, I looked forward to them, and any time I spent studying with my Sheikah teachers really. But today I felt uneasy. My father had not wanted me to accompany the Sheikah today, he believed studying the guardian technology was beginning to distract me from my duties. He had only let me come today after I had promised to go to the Temple of Time and pray to Hylia, which I was going to do anyway. But perhaps he was correct, my daily devotions to the goddess had been slipping, still, I firmly believed our research was as important as my powers.   
The legends always mentioned a hero and princess with the powers of the goddess, meaning that my time spent praying to Hylia was the most important of course. I knew that. But surely trying to get the guardians up and running couldn’t hurt. Impa was fairly certain they had been used by our ancestors so what’s to say we couldn’t use them as well. 

Besides, our research was so tenable. Books in the library, figures dug up from the ground, maps of the past. It was so easy to read about these things and uncover their secrets. Our progress was so measurable. But Hylia and my powers, they were harder, less definite. My powers would make themselves clear, that’s what everyone said at least. But it has been nine years and after all my praying all I am left with is stiff bones and disappointment. 

I change in the light brought me back to attention, clouds had rolled over the sun outside and made the temple suddenly much darker. I realized I was still beside the door too lost in my thoughts to move. I stepped through the musty air and walked quickly to the goddess statue in the back corner. The temple was beautiful but rarely used therefore it was always heavy with dust and stale air. Still, the stain glass windows and high ceilings made the building feel ethereal. A perfect place to finally unlock my powers. I knelt in front of the statue of Hylia, level with all of the smaller goddess around her. I bowed my head and recited prayers I had said so many times it was as if I was born with them in my head. 

After several minutes, I opened my eyes, there was a second as my sight adjusted to the light, the clouds from early had moved and there was something dazzling about the colorful shapes that now filled the building. But still, I felt the same, and the knot in my stomach was tighter than ever. I sighed and turned back to the entrance, just as I was about to open the door as noise caught my attention. It was almost like a whisper, the faintest hint of a voice. It said- well, it made no sense what I thought I’d heard (It says he is ready, or awaken or something). And there was a shimmer in the air, green and bright light and then it was gone. I shook my head, it must be the windows, they are catching dust in the air and confusing me. I turned and rejoined Impa outside. 

“My princess, are you alright, you seem dazed,” She said rising from where she sat cross-legged on the ground.   
“Yes, quite fine thank you. Shall we get started” I said trying to drum up my usual amount of energy and excitement. She gestured from me to lead the way forward. I thought about going back to the horses, but on foot, we could get into difficult places without worrying about tying up our horses. 

I lead us over to the Eastern Abbey, Purah was covering Mount Hylia, while Robbie searched the Forest of Spirits. We would have been more efficient if Impa and I split up, but I enjoyed her company too much to send her away. Besides, the unease I felt earlier was only intensified by that moment in the Temple. It was silly I know, but still I felt nervous anyway. 

Several hours went by with little success. We had found several Guardians in the Abbey, as well as what appeared to be the top of another doorway that Robbie had found several weeks before. We marked each of them for someone to try and dig up later. I suppose I should be happy with what we’ve found, and I admit that upon finding the guardian I momentarily forgot my unease and was distracted by all of the markings on it. What could they mean? It was remarkable that they had not worn off after all these years. 

Still, by the time the sun started to make its descent toward the horizon neither of us had found anything that seemed like the shrine mentioned. It was supposed to create a kind of extended stasis, a place for healing and rejuvenation. Logic would follow that it would be quite large, and yet we were having no luck. We gather back where Impa and I had left our horses, “Did you see anything when you were at the top of Mount Hylia?” Impa asked Purah. The young woman shook her head, her large eyes looking dejected. 

“We’ll come back tomorrow, surely there are just places we have not yet searched,” Robbie said hurriedly transferring his supplies back to his horse, but even as he said it he sounded uncertain. Impa grimaced beside me. We all got ready to leave, a somber mood falling upon us. I glanced up and noticed a path leading upward. I remember it from my childhood. It lead up to a nice view of the rest of the land, my mother had taken me there as a child. I had been a couple of times after she died, but not recently. The last several trips to the Temple of Time I had been too busy carrying out acts of diplomacy and acting as Hylia’s stead to sneak way. 

“Wait, let’s take a picture before we leave,” I said mounting Nimbos and leading them up the hill. Once up there I admired the land, the castle was small in the distance, dwarfed by dueling peaks and death mountain. My heart swelled as I saw the places I loved. I glanced at Impa, Robbie, and Purah as they gathered around me. Impa taking out the Sheikah slate to get a picture of the view. I felt so blessed to know these people, to be allowed to work with the Sheikah tribe. They had opened the world to me, making it possible to escape the castle and travel out in a beautiful place and learn all these wonderful things I was learning. 

Suddenly Robbie vaulted off his horse and took off behind us, heading towards a grassy knoll.   
“Does this look unusual?” He asked Purah, who was only two steps behind him   
“Indeed, I think there is something there,” She said, running her hands around the brush and vines in the area. I started to turn Nimbos round as Impa brought the slate to them. Just as I was approached there was a tremor and a tremendous scraping sound. The area in front of Robbie was moving. 

“Ah ha! Look, this is it! The must be it!” He exclaimed excitedly over the sounds of foliage snapping and rocks shifting. 

Yes! I thought. Yes, this is it, our research really is vital, it is the key to stopping Ganon I knew it. One day of searching and we had made more progress with this than I had made on my power my whole life. Couldn’t my father understand, this is where our answers lie. Any apprehension I had felt throughout the day evaporated, my heart felt like it was going to combust so great was my excitement. 

Before the door had even stopped moving Robbie and Purah were inside with Impa close behind. I followed more cautiously behind, my friend were well trained, spending almost there whole lives becoming incredible warriors, a dark cave was nothing to them. I on the other had and spent most of my life sitting at tables or kneeling for Hylia, a dark cave was not ideal. Still, I could not wait outside, I needed to see everything. I heard the scrap of rock on rock and suddenly there was a lite torch and Impa’s feet. She picked it up and motioned for me to stay close to her. 

Shortly after the entrance the ground drops off sharply, a six-foot jump at our feet. Of course, Robbie and Purah had easily jumped off the edge and were excitedly talking below.   
“Is this a chest?”  
“What do you think this writing on the wall says”  
“How far back does it go?”  
“Do you think it still works” 

I dug my feet and hands into the wall trying to slide down the gap instead of jumping. Impa patiently waited at the bottom for me. The area went back farther, but it was not endless. Up a short flight of stars there was deep rectangle in the ground and above it hung something that looked like a large flower bud. It came to a point right over the rectangle. In the corner was a pedestal. The room was otherwise bare. We stayed there for what had to have been hours. Talking and guess and looking up research we had stored on the slate. It seemed our text was correct, this was a healing chamber. How it healed was unclear, although Impa purposed something came out of the bulb on the ceiling that acted as a slowing and healing agent. I agreed, but how does one activate it? It seemed to only be built for one person, did that mean there were more out in the world than just this one? There was much for me to research when I got back to the castle. 

When we emerged the sun was just slipping behind the horizon. Thankfully our horses had stayed nearby despite being left untethered in our excitement. We made quick work of getting back home, my father would be unhappy with me for being out so late, but surely even he could understand how momentous are discovery was. This was the last piece we needed, I felt sure. With the divine beast, guardians, structures, and now this. Once we unlocked their secrets we would be unstoppable. Ganon had no chance. 

I was feeling elated as we approached castle town, however, upon entering the gates my sense of foreboding from early returned. The knot in my stomach was tight and uncomfortable. I could hear whispers as I road Nimbos to the stable. Snatches of conversation whizzed past my ears. 

“..pulled it right out of the ground”   
“...heard it blazed bright when..”   
“... a knight like his father and his father’s father”   
“The chosen one”  
“Young and handsome, or so I’ve heard”

What were they talking about, some young knight, something in the lost forest? Perhaps one of the knights at the training camp had gotten lost or played a trick. I pushed the gossip from my mind and handed Nimbos off to the stable master. I bid my Sheikah friends goodnight and made my way to my room. The castle was empty as I walked through up the side stairs that lead right outside my room. Just as I was about to enter my room I heard my name.   
“Zelda” I turned and curtsied slightly, bowing my head  
“Father,” I said quietly.   
“It is dark. It was dangerous of you to be out so late, you must be more careful, more disciplined. You are royalty, you have a responsibility to your people. You-”   
“I understand father” I said, cutting him short. The events of the day were catching up and my body ached.   
“Yes, alright then. Well, at least there is some good news at the end of this day at least”   
How did he know about the shrine? I felt relieved and almost jolly that he thought it was good news. Father was so often disinterested in our research, it was unusual for him to acknowledge it let alone call our discovery “good”. I lifted my head to ask if Impa or Robbie had told him when he spoke. 

“The hero has been revealed. A young knight pulled the sword this morning. We are one step closer to ending the calamity. Devote yourself to your prayer my daughter, and soon your powers will make themselves clear as well” he said before turning and walking away. 

I felt a deep hollowness in my chest as if everything in me had disappeared. The hero, the sword. The prophecy was coming true. This meant Ganon was closer than I had hoped, time was running out. Some boy now had the sword of the hero and I, the princess of this land, was still making the wrong choices. Little wisdom did I possess, I was useless. Again.


	2. Chapter 2

I grunted slightly as the books in my arms dug further into my skin. I tread carefully up the stairs from the library to the courtyard, the books in the bag around my shoulder weighing me down even more. I know with the sword drawn I should be concentrating on my powers, and I had. At least for a bit, I woke up and prayed all morning, but like always I felt nothing. Besides, it was irresponsible of me to not at least try and learn a little about the shrine. Special sword or not this “hero” wasn’t invincible, perhaps a healing shrine would come in handy. 

I maneuvered the door to outside with full hands and used my foot to shut it behind me. I kept to the side courtyard, my head down to avoid attention. As I made my way towards the west entrance I heard by the south entryway. I glanced up to see a crowd gather, they were far away so it was hard to see specifics, but I could hear rowdy shouts. 

“Hero!”  
“... that sword”  
“What a face”  
“What a body” 

I saw a figure break from the crowd, it’s pace was sure and measured. Not in a hurry, but filled with purpose. That must be him, the boy rumored to wield the sword. He was not overly impressive, a typical build for a knight, and not tall. His only impressive feature was his hair, bright and golden, like springtime honey glistening in the afternoon sun and- well it was unimportant. Nice hair didn’t make him a better soldier, which is all he was, a soldier with a nice sword. Suddenly his head moved, and it seemed as if he stared right at me. I looked down and shuffled through the west doorway. I didn’t have time for this stranger, I'd meet him soon enough. Besides, prophecy or not, one human wasn’t more important than all of our research. No matter what father said. 

\--------------------------

I thumbed through books in Robbie’s and Purah’s lab. I had brought my research from yesterday as well as all the library books to compare notes.  
“Yes, I agree. The rectangle in the ground must be a sort of tub for the injured person. It seems shallow but perhaps can be moved to become deeper depending on the extent of the injuries” Purah said looking over my journal.  
“We hypothesis there is some kind of salve or liquid in the bulb” Impa spoke up from her spot on the ground. She was sitting cross-legged, her head bowed in concentration. She often did this, declaring it was part of her training.  
“It must have some kind of Guidance Stone like the divine beast. Once we figure out how those work we can work the shrine” I said, as Purah handing back my journal.  
“I’m sure I can get the shrine to full functionality soon” Purah declared, swiping through the Sheikah Slate  
“And when Purah fails I’ll be there to get it functioning” Robbie chimed in from his workbench where he was fiddling with guardian parts, probably something to get another one moving. 

As the two started to bicker I picked up one of the books we had been referring to lately. It spoke of five columns under the castle. We had discovered this weeks ago and I had been all over the castle with no results. There must be something I missed. I’ll read it again to make sure, their answer must be there. 

Hours past, I lost track of time rereading many books. I could feel a headache building behind my eyes when suddenly the door to the lab burst open and a young squire stumbled in, hunched over breathing heavily.  
“Your highness,..... The king… request your presence… imme…” he gulped for air “Immediately”  
“Y-yes, of course… yes, thank you. I will be there shortly” I said awkwardly standing. He nodded and bowed before leaving. I always felt uncomfortable around the people of the palace. When I was out in the field it did not bother me, but in here, within the castle walls, I felt pressure to always be dignified. A pressure I never felt I lived up to. 

I departed from the lab giving a soft goodbye. If the squire was so out of breath it must be urgent. I couldn’t imagine what my father needed me for so quickly, hopefully no one was in danger. I rushed to my father’s study but did not find him there. I turned up the stairs heading for the sanctum. He was there on his throne, his eyebrows drawn inward. 

“There you are, my daughter” he boomed. I curtsied, but upon straightening rose my eyes to meet mine. If I am to be a ruler I must show confidence.  
“The hero has arrived, he made quick time from the camp, as one would expect from the chosen one” I nodded unsure of why this information was so urgent a squire was almost breathless delivering my summons to me.  
“The other champions are on their way here now, we will formally announce them to the realm tomorrow. I expect you to be there as well, I am sure you will present yourself appropriately” He said casting a displeased look at my current clothing. I had on a simple woolen tunic and brown britches I often wore riding. When exploring I often wore outfits like these, sometimes there were a little nicer to make my status known but a gown, or any dress was far too ungainly for riding or climbing. I had grown used to the feeling of britches and had taken to wearing them around the castle, much to my father chagrin.  
“Yes, father, of course. Shall I prepare to give a proclamation for tomorrow?”  
“No, that is unnecessary. I will speak tomorrow. However, I do expect you to meet with all of the champions. I am only doing this so the realm may meet the young knight who is to be the hero, and I am including the champions for diplomacy”.

He fell silent then and seemed to go back to a small book that was in his hands. I curtseyed again and made to leave.  
“Goodnight, Zelda” I heard him say softly. I turned slightly, “Goodnight father”


End file.
